Albany, NY -- JT and Kevin's House -- Early Morning

JT's POV

Here we are still sitting here arguing about Kevin quitting
the Backstreet Boys. I know he's not happy with what Nick did, but that was no
reason for him to quit. I don't know what's going through his mind. I know
everything he's told me makes some sense, but you don't quit anything unless you
have something to replace it. I don't care if he does have money already,
that's not the point.

"Baby I don't see what the big deal is. I will have more
time to be with you now and I don't have to build my time with you around anyone
else's schedule," he says, leaning in to kiss me.

"The big deal is you quit, you quit doing something that
you love doing. You love to sing and perform Kevin. Don't you think you'll
grow tired of sitting around with me and want to go back to it?" I ask him.

"I might continue to sing and perform. I don't have to be
a member of the Backstreet Boys to do that," he says, waving his finger at me.

"Kevin don't you go trying to pull a Nick and get mad at
the world when your project bombs out," I say as he glares at me.

"Are you saying I can't do a solo project and succeed?" He
asks me.

"No honey that's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying
don't jump up and try to go solo and get the same kind of treatment Nick got.
You saw how much attention he got, do you think you will get more?" I ask him.

"Maybe I can record an album and make it work. I know what
to do to get airplay and wide area press coverage," he says, looking over at me.

"What about the other guys Kevin, they need you with them.
I have to say that I don't agree with you being away on tour for so long, but
your friends need you Kevin. You were wrong for just up and leaving them the
way you did." I tell him as he gets up and walks from the room. "Kevin, come
back here."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore baby," he says,
turning around in the doorway. "Why don't you tell me about your company? When
will you start it up?" He asks me, walking back over to the sofa and sitting
next to me again. "Come on tell me."

"Nice way of changing the subject handsome," I say laying
my head in his lap. "You have to go back to Orlando and make this stuff right.
I'll be okay here, honest I will," I say, teasing the hairs on his stomach. "I
just don't want you wrecking things with your friends."

"I'm not the one wrecking things baby, Nick is," he says,
almost whiny like.

"Me and Justin had a long talk last night and he told me
all the hurtful things the both of you said to each other. You both need your
asses hogged-whipped three ways from Sunday for that shit. You two are ackin'
like cherin."

"What? Why?" Kevin asks, looking down at me.

"Because you two are friends Kevin, best friends and you
have been for so long. I don't know what's gotten into both of you, but ya'll
need to cut that shit out and now. I'm not going to sit up listening to Justin
crying that his husband is sulking around the house because my husband hurt his
husband's feelings," I say, pinching his leg as I sit up. "You two need to
apologize to each other before this gets way out of hand."

"I'm not apologizing to him baby, he should apologize to me
for tricking me into going back to Orlando before I got a chance to see you," he
says, frowning. "When he apologizes to me, then I'll apologize to him, but not
before then."

"Tell you what baby, either you call him and apologize to
him since you're the better man, or I'm going to be pissed with you for a
while." I tell him handing him the phone and walking out of the room. "Be
quick about it, we have to go back to New York later on for that damn funeral
for Michael."

"I'm not going to call him baby," he says, sitting on the
sofa pouting.

Los Angeles, CA -- The Muniz Estates -- Jan. 2, 2005 -- After 9 AM

"So what did you do last night?" Frankie asks walking out
onto the patio and sitting in front of Justin. "I didn't hear you come in until
way after four this morning."

"We went to the movie like you suggested and that was it
man. We parted ways after the movie and I went down to Ricky's and hung out
there for a bit," Justin says.

"You were at Ricky's until after four this morning? Are
you drinking again Justin?" Frankie asks, looking at Justin closely in the
face. "Answer me Justin, are you drinking again?"

"Well you are hanging out at Ricky's that's why. You only
go there because he lets you drink," Frankie says, forcing Justin to look at
him. "Don't try to look away from me damnit!"

"Stop yelling Frankie! I'm not drinking. I told you that,"
Justin says looking down at the floor.

"What the hell were you doing?" Frankie asks him, looking
down as he thinks of how bad Justin was the previous years when he was
drinking. "Please tell me Justin."

"I was hanging out with Jon Foster," Justin says, holding
his head down. "Why are you thinking the worst Frankie?"

"I know what happens to you when you are down and
depressed," Frankie says, hugging Justin. "I don't want you to get too far gone
like last time and try to kill yourself again. I don't think I can bear losing
you too."

"How are you going to lose me Frankie? We are not
together, you're with Aaron now," Justin says, a stray tear traveling down his
cheek.

"You are still in my heart Justin. You will always have a
place in my heart Justin and you know it," Frankie says, hugging Justin again as
Aaron walks out onto the patio behind them.

"Good morning you two," Aaron says, frowning as he watches
the display of affection between Frankie and Justin. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing at all baby, so how did you sleep?" Frankie asks
as Justin gets up and walks away from the two of them.

"He just had a bad night is all." Frankie replies, looking
over Aaron's shoulder to see Justin walking along the fence of the backyard.
"Don't worry about him. He'll be alright."

"I hope so," Aaron says, still watching Justin as he
wonders what transpired between his lover and his lover's best friend.

Orlando, FL -- Justin and Nick's House

"Baby you both were wrong for fighting in the first place.
He quit because you tricked him the way you did. I am not going
to go through this with you again like last night. To me, this matter is closed
Nick," Justin says, getting up off the sofa just as the phone rings. "I'll get
that, you stay put. Hello?"

"I'm fine Chrissy, how are you doing?" Justin asks her,
walking over to the sofa, looking at Nick closely and then sitting down.

"I'm doing okay cutie pie. I'm returning your call because
I wanted to know what the big favor you wanted to ask me," Christina says as
Justin looks at Nick and then looks down.

"Chrissy where are you right now?" Justin asks her.

"Well I'm currently in Knoxville, why?" Christina asks
him.

"Well what I want to ask you, I...we would rather...rather talk
to you in person," Justin says.

"We? Is there something you and Nicky want to ask me
Justin?" Christina asks.

"Yes there is Chrissy, it's kind of complicated, and that's
why we would like to ask you in person," Justin says as Nick starts looking at
him strangely, wondering what it is that he's talking about.

"Well I don't see that happening anytime soon unless you
can wait about a week or so for me to finish my commitments here and then I can
possibly fly out there for a few hours before I have to jet off to Michigan,"
Christina says as Justin starts looking around the room for something.

"Whatever time you can spare to meet us is fine with me
Chrissy, you know that. I just don't want to discuss this on the phone," Justin
says as he finds his Palm Pilot (everybody's got one) and turns it on. "I'm
going to clean out some time for you, so when do you think it's possible that
you can fly out here?"

"Let me see...so much going on around here, I might can get
out there on the seventh, but if not, then it would be the eleventh." Christina
tells him as Justin selects dates in the calendar list.

"That sounds good to me Chrissy. I will make sure that
both of us are free on those days so we can have our talk," Justin says smiling
at Nick.

"Alright sweetie, I'll call you to let you know which date
I'll be available." Christina states as Justin places the device on the table.

"Thanks Chrissy, we'll see you then," Justin says as the
two of them chatted some more about other things.

Back in Albany with Kevin and JT

"Honey have you check the mail today?" Kevin asks, walking
into the living room where JT was lying on the sofa.

"I went out there earlier, but I don't think the post man
had ran yet," JT says, sitting up as Kevin walks past him and opens the door to
check the mailbox. "What do we have here... lights, water, gas and cable."

"Oh yeah, like I really want to see the bills," JT says,
sitting up now as he looks at the bills that Kevin handed him. "Wait a minute,
this isn't a bill, this is a letter and it's from Howard."

"Howard? Howard who?" Kevin asks him.

"Howard Marshall as in attorney at law," JT says, placing
the bills on the table as he opens the letter. "Kevin I think you need to get
over here."

"What's wrong baby?" Kevin asks, sitting down next to JT.

"From this letter, Howard says that your divorce papers
from Kristin never got processed. You're still married to her," JT states,
reading the information in the letter. "Here, read for yourself."

"What? I don't fucking believe this. So you're telling me
I'm a bigamist?" Kevin asks, reading the rest of the letter. "How the hell did
this happen?"

"I don't know, but I'm calling Howard right now," JT says,
picking up the phone and dialing some numbers.

"We have to straighten this out and quick. I can't stomach
the thought of being married to that bitch. We're not going to Michael's
funeral, we have to stay here and fix this," Kevin says, tears forming in his
eyes.

"We told Nikki and Howie we would be there, so we're going
darn it. Howard is going to fix this, that's for damned sure," JT tells him as
he walks back into the bedroom.

On the Road to New York City

Howie's POV

"Hey beautiful, how are you two doing over there?" I asked
as I turn my attention from the road to my wife. She's been pretty quiet ever
since we got up this morning, and I'm reasonably sure I know what's bothering
her. "Nervous about seeing Phyllis again?"

"No. I can handle Phyllis," Nikki replied. "I'm more
concerned about Tony's sister Janine. She's always had a huge grudge against me,
and I just know she's gonna start shit with me today."

"Baby, just stick close to me and Joey," I said calmly,
glancing over at her. She's riding along with her hand resting over our baby,
and that makes me smile. "I'm not going to let her fuck with you, and neither
will Joe. You just relax and let us deal with her and her mother."

"Okay," she says softly, worrying me even more. I decide I
need to get her mind off what's going on... and I know just how to do it. "So,
have you given any thought to what you want to do to our new house?"

Bingo! She becomes animated; rattling off a list of things
she feels we should have in the house. I love some of her ideas, especially her
idea for decorating the house in various warm Earth tones. She pulls out a list
of decorators in the Orlando area, explaining her concept of what she wants done
with the rest of the house and peppering me with questions about the layout of
the house. I can't help laughing at her enthusiasm for this, especially when she
announces that we have to have the house ready to be moved into before our baby
is born.

"But what are we going to do about Tony?" she asks
suddenly, turning to me. "I mean, is he going to move in with us, or will he
continue to live with JC? I don't care really... but it would be nice to know for
sure."

"Liar," I said gently, smirking at her. "You know you love
him and you'd give our firstborn to have both of us at home with you. Admit it,
you love the way things are right now."

"All right, I love it," she asserted, grinning impishly. "I
just want to make sure that things go smoothly with him and JC. I... I just have a
weird feeling in the pit of my stomach about that."

"You worry too much Licia," I tell her, picking her hand up
and kissing it softly. "So, are we going back to Miami or would you rather head
to Orlando to see our new house?"

"Orlando... definitely Orlando!" she exclaims as we come
within sight of New York City proper. "Well, here goes nothing!"

Someplace in Brooklyn -- The Fatone House -- A Little Before 11

Joey's POV

Today is one of those somber days where you just wish you
didn't have to get up. I wish the events that led up to this day never
happened. Michael was a bad man, he really was, but he didn't deserve to die.
No one deserves that. Michael did some very bad things in his lifetime to me,
Steve, Janine and Nikki, but it seems Kick got the worst of his bad behavior.
All those days and nights he beat her to within an inch of her life, and nobody
tried to help her except Michael's uncle Carmine and me. Even after learning
about all the things that he did to her, I still didn't wish death on him. That
wish didn't come until after we found out he had something to do with the
kidnapping attempts of my sons. I know I shouldn't have wished death on him, but
in my heart, I had no choice in the matter. I wanted my son back home with his
parents safe and sound. Now looking back at everything that has happened, I'll
have to live with the guilt of knowing that I wished for his death. I'm the
reason he's dead now. God answered my heart felt prayer.

Today this place is somewhat in a state of panic and a
little bit of war. Hell, Ma is snapping at people right and left and Steve and
Janine are having issues of their own. I think they are both pissed about the
way things are going with the funeral. My job for right now is to greet people
and show them where to go. When the police along with some of JT's security
detail showed up she went through the roof so to speak.

Things are getting ready to start and I haven't seen Howie
or Nikki. She called me earlier and told me that they were almost here. I hope
nothing happened to them on the way here. I know she would like to be here so
she could have some closure to that chapter of her life. I think we all would
like some closure on Michael.

"Good morning sir, right this way," I say, leading Governor
George Pataki and his wife Libby towards the back were the ceremony would be
held.

About an Hour Later

"Hello and welcome to the memorial services for my son
Michael David Valente," Phyllis Fatone said, pausing to wipe a tear from her
eyes before continuing. "I want to thank you all for coming, but this service is
going to be short since I have already cremated my son's body. None of you loved
him the way I did, so none of you deserve the right to mourn for him! None of
you cared about him... least of all that little whore he was married to! It's her
fault my son is dead, and if there's any justice in this world, she would suffer
just as much as he did."

As Nikki sat there, her face burning with mortification,
Joey and Steve hurried to the front, trying to get their mother to sit down
before she embarrassed the family even more, but Phyllis was not finished. "No!
I'm not done with that little bitch! She's brought nothing but pain into my
family ever since the first day you brought her home Joey! She
caused this! Don't you see? She lusted after another man the whole time she was
married... and she ruined my beautiful boy! She made him turn away from God and
lie with a man!" Phyllis stopped, deadly calm as she looked Nikki squarely in
the eyes, vowing, "You just wait Nicole... I'll make you pay for hurting my
Michael if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"Ma! That's enough damn it! Michael was a sick fuck who
poisoned everything and everyone he touched! How the hell can you blame Kick for
any of this when he almost killed her before your grandsons were born? You saw
with your own two eyes how he treated her! How can you say this to her?" Joey
fumed, eyes filling as he turned to the crowd who were staring at the unfolding
scene with rapt attention. "I'm sorry you all had to witness this, but my
brother wasn't the saint my mother is trying to make him out to be. Truth be
told, Michael was a lousy wife-abusing bastard who got off on the pain he
inflicted. I'm the man his wife turned to, and because of his insane jealousy of
something he could never have; he almost killed my sons when
Nicole was pregnant. So if there's anybody to blame for Michael's death, it's
Michael himself, not Nikki, not me."

"That's a lie! Michael would never hurt Nicole! He loved
her!" Phyllis screamed, fighting to get free of Steve's iron-like embrace. "She
cheated on him and it drove him crazy! He loved her!"

"That's a lie and you know it Phyllis," another voice spoke
up from the crowd. Carmine Pentangeli, Michael's uncle stood and made his way to
where the rest of the family was standing. "Michael was rotten from the day his
mother, God rest her soul, died and left him with that drunken bastard she
married. I knew all the things he was doing to Nicole because she would call me
every single day, crying because he had beaten her, begging me to help her. And
God help me, but I allowed it to continue because I didn't think it was my place
to interfere in my nephew's marriage... until the night he tried to kill her. It
was only then I stepped in and tried to do something. So you leave Nicole out of
your twisted visions of revenge, because if you do anything else to hurt her,
you answer to me!"

"Get her in the house before she causes anymore drama,"
Joey hissed to Steve, who practically dragged a still resisting Phyllis into the
house. Turning back to the crowd, he said, "Please, feel free to have some
refreshments and food. And again, I'm sorry about all this."

A Little After 1

Nikki's POV

This has been one of the craziest memorial services it has
ever been my misfortune to sit through. Phyllis' hatred of me knows no bounds it
seems. I'm glad Uncle Carmine was here though. At least it gave her the chance
to hear about some of the horrible shit Michael did to me from someone she
actually respects... or rather someone she fears. Uncle Carmine is not the type of
man you accuse of lying to save someone else's reputation, and he's damned sure
not the type you talk back to. He's a very powerful, well-respected member of
the community here in Bensonhurst, and he's the one person it would do you well
never to cross. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see him smiling at
me.

"Hi Uncle Carmine," I said, hugging him tight. He returned
the hug, kissing my cheek when he finally released me. "It's good to see you.
How is Aunt Rosalie?"

"She's good," he replied, smiling at the mention of his
wife's name. "Told me to make you promise to come see her and bring those boys
of yours to see her soon. Even if they aren't Mike's kids, I still consider them
my nephews.."

"I'll try to come before I leave Bensonhurst," I promised,
grinning as I looked around for Howie and the boys. "Would you like to meet them
now?"

"I'd like that very much," Carmine replied, smiling as he
watched the boys playing around Howie's legs, but then turning serious...almost
somber eyes on me again. "But first I just wanted to say how sorry I am that I
didn't step in sooner to stop Michael from hurting you. I just didn't think he
would go as far as he did and..."

"It's okay," I interrupted, smiling at him. "All that
really matters is that you helped when I really needed you... and I thank you for
getting him professional help then. Even if he did fall off the wagon, it was
nice not to be his punching bag for the little time that he was sober, ya know?
And besides, I have a new life now, and I couldn't be happier! So come on Uncle
C, let's go meet your nephews!"

"Wait Nicole, there's something else I wanted to tell you,"
Carmine stated, grabbing my arm to stop me from moving. "You be careful of
Phyllis. She's angry with you right now, and there's no telling what she might
cook up to hurt you with. I meant what I said to her, but if you need me, all
you have to do is call me and I'll be there to help you as much as I can."

Orlando, FL - JC and Joey's House - Later that Afternoon

JC's POV

"No mom I'm alright. Don't worry about me right now, I'll
be okay," I say, walking through the front door of my and Joey's house. "It's
that stupid cow Nikki that's not going to be alright."

"Josh, stop that kind of talk. I didn't raise you that
way," Karen, JC's mother says as I drop my bags on the floor. "For the last few
minutes all you've told me was that Joey doesn't love you anymore, that he's
leaving you for Nicole. Why would Joey do something like that? Doesn't he
still love you? Has he told you he didn't love you?"

"I don't know mom and right now I really don't care
anymore. If he loved me like he said he did, he would have been by my side and
not hers. I swear..." I start, but mom interrupts me.

"Stop that Josh, don't swear," she says to me, getting
angrier by the minute with me as I continue to complain about Joey. "Maybe
you're understanding things wrong."

"No I'm not understanding things wrong mom. He's been with
her since before we arrived in New York. When all of this started in Paris, he
went to her and ignored me. I haven't seen him much since then," I say, tears
streaming down my face now. "He just doesn't love me anymore. He made a big
fool of me."

"Now, now Josh, his child was kidnapped. I don't think you
can understand what was going through his mind during that time. He's been
preoccupied with finding his child and making sure he's safe back with its
mother," she says trying to convince me that Joey was reacting on parental
instinct.

"Mom they found the baby a couple of days ago. I tried to
talk to him and he just...he just kept on going like I didn't exist. It's all
Nikki's fault. Whenever she's around, I don't exist to him. I'm his husband
darn it, he should have ran to me for support when all of this happened, instead
of running away from me. What kind of husband runs out on the love of his life
unless that person isn't the love of his life no longer...could you tell me that
mom?" I ask her, sitting down on the sofa and kicking off my shoes and flinging
my blazer across the room.

"Josh honey, please calm down. Don't upset yourself
anymore than you already are. Things will be all right. Just believe in the
love you two share," she says as I start crying harder now. "Josh honey
please..."

"He doesn't love me. That love is lost mom," I say hanging
up the phone, tossing it on the sofa as I get up and walk up the stairs to our
bedroom.

Walking into the room, I unbutton my shirt and take it off
while undoing my pants and letting them fall to the floor as I walk over to the
dresser and pull out something to sleep in. I know it's the middle of the day,
but I don't care anymore. I'm just going to go take me a nice warm bath and try
to let these troubles wash away.

A Little After 2 O'clock

Janine's POV

I can't put up with that damn heffa being here. Hasn't she
caused enough problems for everyone in this family? First Joey, then Michael
and God knows how many other people she's hurt in her fucking life. That bitch
is going down and now! If Joey refuses to see that she's trouble, I'll have to
take matters into my own hands and do the job.

"You bitch!" I shout at her, walking up to her and her
Backstreet Boy husband. "Why did you even bother to show your face here?"

"Well hello to you to Janine," she says, turning around to
look at me. "It's a very lovely day we're having here isn't it?"

"Lovely day? Are you smarting off to me bitch?" I ask her
as she releases the little boy's hand, allowing him to walk over to her husband.

"D please take the children over to...shoot I don't care just
take them away from over here. I don't want them hearing this kind of language,"
she tells the man as he kisses her on the cheek and walks away from her with
both boys by the hand. "Look here Janine, I'm not in the mood right now for
anything you have to say right now. I don't care if you don't like the fact
that I came here, I came out of respect for Joey, Phyllis and the rest of you
crazy ass freaks..."

"Bitch!" I scream, smacking her in the face as she
flinches away from me.

"Ah hell naw!" She screams as she balls her hands up and
narrows her eyes on me.

"Oh shit!" Her husband shouts, looking down at the little
boys, turning their faces away from the two of us. "No Nikki! No Nikki No!!!!"

<WHACK>

"Owwww!" I scream, backing up on the ground as she starts
walking towards me, smacking her fist into her palm.

"What did I tell you I would do to you the last time you
stepped up to me?" She asks me, still walking towards me as I backed up against
the Gazebo's steps.

"Stay away from me you crazy bitch!" I shout at her as
Joey, Steve and some of the security guys come running around the corner to
where we were.

"I told you that if you stepped to me like that again, I
was going to whoop your ass like a government mule!" She screams, kicking my
leg as she got up close to me. "You were fucking warned!"

"Nikki stop!" Joey shouts, walking up behind her.

"Tony stay out of this!" She screams at him as a black man
steps up to her.

"Get ready bitch, I'm gonna beat your ass!" She shouts,
grabbing me by the straps on my dress and pulling me up off the ground as she
draws back to hit me.

"Nikki don't hit her," the black man says to her.

"JT mind your bizness right now. This is between me and
this heffa," she says, shaking me in her arms.

"Come on Nikki, let it go. She's grieving for her no
account brother," The black man tells her. "Don't do this today. Let her be
the only fool here, don't act like her."

"This bitch ain't grieving! She's hated me ever since I
came into Tony's life," she says, letting me go and kicking me again. "You're
lucky JT's my friend, because if not, I would have ignored him and beat your
skanky ass."

"Calm down Kick, don't do this. Listen to JT's, he's
right." Joey states, helping the black man drag her away struggling to get back
to me.

JT's POV

That girl is very rude. It's clear that she's just as bad
as Phyllis and Steve. Hell the way she's acting reminds me of Michael right
now. To think Michael's really adopted, I guess it's more about nurture than
nature when it comes to these Fatones. Out of the whole bunch, Joey's the only
civil acting one. Is he really the adopted one and the others are adopted? I
guess it's because he's been in the spotlight and all. Then again, I don't
think Nikki would have dated him if he acted like them.

"What's going on baby?" Kevin asks as Joey and me escort
Nikki over to our table.

"Just trying to gain order back here again," I say, looking
down at Nikki as CJ walks over to me, and hugs my leg. "Hi there little man."

"Aye Unca Jaytee," he says, sucking his finger into his
mouth.

"Hello CJ," Kevin says, kneeling down in front of the
little boy and patting him on the shoulder as he moves away from Kevin and hides
behind me.

"I'm sorry Kev, he's still shy around other men," Nikki
says, picking CJ up and sitting him in her lap.

"It's okay Nikki, I understand," he says, hugging me,
kissing me on the cheek and then walking away.

"Kevin where are you going?" I ask him, smiling at the
guys and then walking over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I'm just glad that the menace formerly
known as Michael is finally dead," he says, turning to me and then hugging me.
"I love you so much JT. If it wasn't for the love we share, I would've taken it
upon myself to kill Michael for all the pain he's caused you and me. All the
time we've lost because of him hurting you and other people. Both of your
shootings, the problems with Nikki and the babies, everything he's responsible
for, caused people to suffer. I'm glad he's dead."

"Kevin you didn't need to say that," I say, looking at him
closely, wiping his tears away as he kisses me.

"I'm sorry baby, but why lie about something like that?
I'm really glad he's gone. He can't hurt you, Nikki or anyone else for that
matter ever again." He tells me, pulling me down into his lap. "We've been
through too much shit since we found each other and I'm tired of it baby."

"I know you are Kevin, but being glad someone's dead isn't
a good thing. I agree that he won't be able to hurt anyone else, but I'm not
glad he's dead. I know there have been times that I mighta wished he was, but
death is something you don't play with. Death claims people on wishes not
deservance and need." I tell him as he looks at me like I was out of my mind.

"I so didn't understand you just said JT," he says,
smiling. "All I got out of that last part was that Death something or another,
that's it. Say that again baby."

"I said Death claims people on wishes, not on deservance
and need." I tell him.

"Is deservance really a word baby?" He asks me.

"Hmmm, hell I don't know," I say, looking up at him. "It
sounds like a word to me."

"Well as for this deservance, we don't deserve having to
deal with that bitch Kristin. I don't know what she did, but I know she's
responsible for us not getting divorced. I filed the correct paperwork months
before me and you ever met."

"Well I say don't worry about a thing Kev, I'm sure Howard
can fix all of this," I say as Joey, Howie, Nikki and the boys walk over to
where we were sitting.

"Are you two okay?" Nikki asks, sitting down next to Kevin
and me. "The guests are almost gone. When are you going back to Albany?"

"Actually we're not going back to Albany; we have a flight
back to Orlando today in a bit," I tell her as Kevin looks up at me in
surprise. "Yeah we going back to Orlando and you and Nick are going to fix your
issues. I overheard how you two were talking after I told you to bury the
hatchet baby."

"Yeah well you wouldn't let me bury that hatchet upside his
head," he states, glaring at me.

"I wouldn't try to hurt him if he wouldn't have done the
things he did yesterday," Kevin says, looking over at Howie.

"Well you two can work it out when we get to Orlando
tonight," I tell him as I get up out of his lap and kiss him.

"We can't leave, we didn't pack anything," He says, looking
like a lost child.

"That's where you're wrong handsome. Remember I walked out
of the house a lot this morning. I was loading the trunk with all the stuff we
need. So you have no excuses of not going back to Orlando. I know how you
think Kev." I say as everyone around starts laughing at him.

"Snap, he got you there, Kev," Howie says, still laughing
as Kevin glares at him. "Come on baby, let's blow this joint too."

"Can't do nothing no mo," Kevin says, looking at me like he
was mad, and then smiles. "I still love you."

"I still love you too handsome. Come on let's get out of
this place before any more drama starts." I tell him, as we walk towards the
rental car hand-in-hand.

In Phyllis' Main House

Joey's POV

This has been one of those afternoons. I was hoping things
would've gone smoothly, but Ma and Janine wrecked that. I don't know why Ma is
still holding a grudge against Kick like that. She has seen and heard first
hand how Michael treated her when the police were investigating him in the
kidnapping of our child. I just don't get why she can't let those lies fall.
I'm going to go check on Ma and see if she's doing better than she was before we
had to end the ceremony earlier.

Walking up the stairs to her room, I feel a wave of sadness
pass through me. I don't know why I feel so sad all of a sudden, it's an
unexplainable feeling. Maybe it's just my nerves and the events of this day. I
just hope Ma can find it in her heart to let all of this revenge stuff go like
Carmine said.

"What is it that you want Joseph?" She asks, turning away
from me. "There's nothing I have to say to you. You've turned your back on me
and the rest of your family."

"No I haven't turned my back on you or anyone else for that
matter. Nikki is as much my family as the rest of you are, if not more. She's
the mother of my children," I tell her.

"She's a whore is what she is!" She screams, shaking her
head back and forth. "Why?"

"Why what Ma?" I ask her,

"Why did you have to bring that woman into our lives?" She
asks me.

"I love her Ma and ..." I tell her as she interrupts me.

"She doesn't love you! If you haven't noticed, she married
another man Joseph. You turned your back on us for her," she tells me, still
shaking her head. "I can't understand why you would take the word of a drug
dealing whore over your own brother."

"Ma I'm not going to argue with you again about Nikki. You
know as well as I do that Michael told you lies about her. Why are you trying
to bring up those lies again?"

"Get out! Get out right now! From this point forward, I
have no son," she says, pointing at the door, not looking up at me. "Until you
can see that she's a lying, despicable, deceitful and whorish wench, I don't
want to see or hear from you again. Is that clear Joseph?"

"Fine Ma, whatever. I guess this is goodbye then. I still
love you Ma." I tell her as I kiss her on the cheek and walk out. (The last
kiss, no pun intended)

Back in Orlando -- Joey and JC's House -- Upstairs Bathroom

JC's POV

Why is it that I'm a married man and I'm always alone God?
Why is it that every time I look around, I'm the one that's getting left out or
pushed to the side? What did I do wrong God? I need an answer here. I don't
know what to do anymore. Life...life just doesn't seem to be worth living anymore
if I can't have the man I fell in love with so many years ago. Is this my
punishment for sinning against you? Give me the man I love, only to have a
woman come back into his life from his past, a woman that he has kids with.
That's always been his dream God; he's always wanted to have a family with
kids. I guess you gave him what he wanted... and I guess that wasn't me.

"Maybe Nikki's right, maybe I don't deserve to be with
Joe," I say, standing up in the bathtub. "Maybe I just need to let him go and
let him be happy with her. It seems that's what he wants. Is that the right
answer God?"

Stepping out of the tub and walking over to the bathroom
sink; I open the medicine cabinet and look around in side for my escape.
Pushing things around in the small confines of the cabinet, I find what I'm
looking for and close the door back. Looking at myself in the mirror, I see the
man that I have become and I also see the man that I will never be.

"Maybe if I'm out of the way, things will be better for
everyone. If I'm not here, maybe things will be better for me, wherever I end
up. I hope they have a happy life together. God please keep the man that I
love in your glorious grace for as long as he lives." I say aloud as I walk
back over to the tub and step back in.

"Joey I will always love you," I say as I look at my escape
in my hands and lay my head back as I see images of all the good times we
shared. "I will always love you Joey Fatone Chasez."

Sinking down in the tub, I think of a song by Whitney
Houston that has always been dear to me..

"If I should stay,
I would only be in your way.
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you ev'ry step of the way.

And I will always love you.
I will always love you.
You, my darling you. Hmm.

Bittersweet memories
that is all I'm taking with me.
So, goodbye. Please, don't cry.
We both know I'm not what you, you need.

And I will always love you.
I will always love you..." I sang as darkness surrounded me.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. I don't own the song, nor did I write it.

STORY WARNINGS & DISCLAIMER

I don't know any of the members of «N
SYNC, Backstreet Boys or any other celebrities mentioned. I don't know anything
about their sexual orientation or the orientation of any other celebrities in
this story (even though I wish some of them were gay). This story is fiction
and you shouldn't take it for anything else but that. This is for entertainment
value only folks.